DRIVERS are being warned to be vigilant after a rise in the number of carjackings.

In the latest incident, a Prestwich woman was left shaken after a gang of masked men threatened her with a spanner before dragging her out of her car.

In a separate attack on the same day, a male driver had his car taken at knife point.

The first incident took place at 6.45pm on Monday in Butterstile Close, Prestwich, as the woman was getting out of her black BMW Mini.

Four men wearing balaclavas approached the 29-year-old woman before one of them threatened her with the weapon and then pulled her from the vehicle.

Two of the men then got into her car but as they attempted to leave the scene, the car stalled and the men sped off in a green, X-registered BMW 3 series with two other men.

Only hours after that incident a 38-year-old man in Radcliffe had his car stolen at knifepoint. The victim was getting out of his black Honda Civic on North Street at about 9.45pm when a man, who was armed with a knife, threatened him and demanded the keys to his car.

The victim gave him the keys and the man then drove off. He was described as white, 6ft tall and wearing dark clothing and a ski mask.

Detective Simon Collier, of Bury CID, said: "I would like to warn members of the public to always be vigilant when they are getting in and out of their cars.

"Now that cars are being fitted with more sophisticated security devices, criminals may use threats of violence to obtain the keys in order to take a car."

Police are asking anyone who sees anything suspicious around their car, or if they think they are being followed, to try and contact them or drive to the nearest police station.